UMW and community welcome future president

Many people greeted William J. Frawley at a February ceremony in Great Hall. He will take office as the president of the University of Mary Washington July 1, 2006.

It wasn't only the talk of the campus, it was the talk of the town. Who would be the next president of Mary Washington? Late January was a busy time for the presidential search: The final three candidates visited UMW and spoke in open forums. Faculty, staff and students weighed in on the applicants. And the Board of Visitors was poised to make its decision. Such a profound choice takes time, the BOV cautioned; the new president would be announced by the end of February – a long, gray month later.

But the guessing game that had fueled conversations for three-quarters of a year ended sooner than expected. Friday, Feb. 3, Rector Mona Albertine announced that William J. Frawley, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University, would be the seventh president of the University of Mary Washington.

Just three days later – under blue skies and to the regal melodies of the Eagle Pipe Band – Albertine officially welcomed Frawley to the University. The president-elect greeted the crowd of more than 300 faculty, staff, students and community members gathered in his honor in Great Hall. He introduced wife Maria Frawley, associate professor of English at George Washington University; son Christopher, 14; and daughter Emma, 11.

He was happy, he said, to take on the difficult and exciting task of advancing Mary Washington, a place he said has a long tradition of excellent core liberal arts and sciences and whose administration exhibited savvy foresight by embracing graduate and professional studies. “It is time to do new things, but we cannot do new things without standing on the past,” Frawley said.“There is one person we need to thank, and that is President Anderson. We owe him a great deal of gratitude for all he has accomplished.”

When the applause abated, Albertine adjourned the ceremony. She encouraged the well-wishers to greet the Frawley family and enjoy an array of elegant pastries created by Sodexho chefs. Frawley, instead, set his eyes on Anderson and made
straight for the man he just had praised. With warm words, smiles and a handshake, Anderson and Frawley wished each other well as the crowd greeted the gesture with hearty applause.

– Neva S. Trenis